


Auschwitz

by SonsOfBelial



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nazi Germany, Blood, Controversial, Disturbing Themes, Gore, M/M, Nazis, Tags are there for a reason, Upsetting themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-02-05 16:01:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1824148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonsOfBelial/pseuds/SonsOfBelial
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud jolted awake as the carriage stopped abruptly, and gentle whimpers spread throughout the dark, cramped cabin. The blond boy said nothing. He knew where they were – it had been going on long enough for him to realise where they had taken him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On Earth as it is in Hell

Cloud jolted awake as the carriage stopped abruptly, and gentle whimpers spread throughout the dark, cramped cabin. The blond boy said nothing. He knew where they were – it had been going on long enough for him to realise where they had taken him. He felt a hand grab his in desperation, as Tifa pressed against him in the darkness. Reaching out, he stroked her now greasy hair softly, unable to reassure her with words. There was no use lying to her...

They were never going to leave.

The door opened and there was a collective wince as the daylight blinded them, and a gust of summer air swept through the humid, sweaty carriage. Perhaps it was better Cloud had arrived during the summer; hopefully he’d be dead before the winter came. A black silhouette came into view, growing as it neared the doorway, his features becoming apparent. The man had black hair pulled back into a ponytail, a reserved and stern look in his eyes. He was wearing a green uniform, and Cloud wrinkled his nose in disgust as his eyes fell upon the red band around his upper arm.

“Welcome to Auschwitz Birkenau,” said the man, as if he were reciting a line he’d said a thousand times. “Please leave the carriage in an orderly fashion.”

Everyone scrambled out as fast as they could, Cloud following suit with Tifa clinging to his arm, terrified. He glanced around, seeing nothing but hundred of identical, long huts. The track ran down the middle, with two roads on either side. A few men in green amongst an army of stripes, with a sickening silence hanging in the air save for the momentary screams and moans of pain that ended disturbingly quickly.

“I don’t know why you bother, Tseng,” complained another soldier, his red hair sticking up everywhere. “You think telling them they’re being ‘relocated’ is gonna fool ‘em? But then again, they are Jews.”

This soldier was different; his uniform looked as though it had been thrown on haphazardly, not out of laziness but out of discomfort perhaps for the way Tseng wore his. Either way, he looked odd stood next to his immaculate partner.

“Be professional if you would, Reno,” sighed the dark haired man, Tseng. “Just do your thing.”

Reno fixed his eyes on the huddled group of people and smirked.

“Right you little fuckers,” he called out. “Get into a line here, and stop crying...”

Obediently, the group gathered into a line, with women clutching their children and men clutching their women. Suddenly, one man stepped out of line.

“I ain’t going in there!” he shouted, “You can’t—“

A shot rang through the air, followed by the screams of frightened children. Tifa buried her face in Cloud’s neck as he shielded her from the sight of the rebel, now lying dead in a pool of his own blood. Cloud looked up to see that it was Tseng who had pulled the pistol on him, and was horrified when Reno gave a hearty laugh.

“Stupid asshole,” chucked Reno. “You know Tseng, you’re pretty merciless for all that polite crap you spout.”

“Once again,” said Tseng, clearly unaffected by what he had just done, “Do your job Reno.”

“Alright, alright,” huffed Reno, “Okay, you two, step forward.”

A man and his little girl stepped forward. She was small, with shoulder length brown hair and had a hold of a leg belonging to a man who was most likely not her father. It seemed odd to see such a delicate young girl hiding behind such a muscled, burly man, and her pale skin shone against his darkness.

“Names, ages, etc.,” droned Reno.

“Barret Wallace,” said the man, his voice thick with loathing, “35 years old. This is my daughter, Marlene Wallace, she’s four.”

Reno regarded them with a contemplating look; he arched an eyebrow at Tseng who looked at him reproachfully.

“He’s got strength, put him to work,” decided Reno, “Now for the girl - she’s young... Ah, we just let a bunch go this morning; put her in the children’s barracks. NEXT!”

As Reno ‘sorted’ them, Cloud noticed a pattern. A disturbing pattern. Reno was putting the strong, the able and the useful at the end of the right road. The old, weak, coughing went on the left side. It wasn’t hard to guess what was going to happen to those poor souls, some of which were babies. Cloud stepped forward, holding Tifa’s hand tightly.

“Stand up straight,” he whispered.

Reno’s eyes met his, and he felt his entire body being surveyed and the soldier looked him up and down, before moving on to Tifa.

“Cloud Strife, 16,” said Cloud clearly.

“Tifa Lockhart, 15,” said Tifa quietly.

“She has nice tits,” joked Reno.

“Reno,” warned Tseng.

“I know, I know,” laughed Reno, “Okay – blondie go right, girlie go left.”

“No!” cried Tifa, throwing her arms around Cloud, “I can work! I can work!”

“We ain’t got room for you kid; get the fuck into line.” Reno’s cheerful exterior dropped and was replaced by a more sinister persona as he stepped forward and pulled Tifa from Cloud’s arms.

“Give her back,” warned Cloud, clenching his fists angrily.

“Oh the birdie chirps,” taunted Reno. “You wanna join her, pretty boy?”

Reno began to drag her towards the opposite road as she thrashed against him.

“Cloud!” she screamed. “Help me!”

Cloud moved to help her before he felt a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. He turned to face Tseng angrily.

“It’s just one girl,” implored Cloud. “She won’t make a difference.”

“If we allowed every ‘one girl’ to stay with her lover then there _would_ be a difference and Commander Sephiroth has ordered that we cut down on teenage girls,” said Tseng. “Besides, she’s of no use to us and it is not your place to die unless we order it, so get into line.”

“Cloud!” shrieked Tifa. Cloud stared at her hopelessly, but he couldn’t move. He...

He was terrified. Shocked at his own cowardice, Cloud took a step back. What could he do? If he tried to save her... they’d both die.

Did she expect him to? To die together? He thought he’d stay with her until the end. She didn’t deserve this, and she had always protected him. She was frightened, she needed him, and his intentions were burning before his eyes. A survival instinct washed over him like a wave, and, before Cloud knew it, he had turned and begun walking towards the right side. He felt empty, hollow, useless.

He felt the big man, Barret, glaring at him as though he was clueless to what he’d just done. He’d chosen to live without Tifa rather than die with her, just so he could live longer.

Cloud wanted to throw up, and so he did.

He was in hell.

~

Cloud flinched.

“If you tense up it’ll hurt more,” snapped the man, holding out the device once again. “Do us both a favour and keep still.”

There was nothing else for it. Cloud held out his arm, and his breath.

The device pierced his skin, and Cloud silently screamed in agony. Opening his eyes, he saw that the man had barely finished the first number. He begged his mind to go elsewhere until the ordeal was over but he couldn’t escape from the excruciating pain in his arm. How could people get these done recreationally? By the time the man was finishing his last number, Cloud was panting and sweating.

“All done,” growled the man, wiping the bloody blue tattoo with a cloth. “Now get the hell outta here.”

Cloud scrambled forwards, running from the cabin, noticing how the others waiting outside paled at seeing his dishevelled appearance. He was shown to his barrack and pointed to a bed he would share with nine other people, and he almost began to cry.

That night as he laid down, the man next to him tapped his shoulder.

“Don’t worry kid,” he whispered. “We’re all thrown together in here, and we’re all victims. Just make sure you don’t give anyone reasons to turn on you because sometimes, they do.”

Cloud wasn’t sure whether this comforted him, and fell asleep wondering whether he’d live till next week.

~

“Get back to work you little shit,” growled the kapo on duty as Cloud stopped to catch his breath. He glared at the girl’s back as she walked away. Such a young girl being given the job of kapo, a prisoner with authority over other prisoners, was outrageous. Cloud thought her name was Yuffie, but he couldn’t be sure, nor did he care, for they’d been digging for hours. What were they digging? Probably more gas chambers.

“Stupid bitch,” muttered Cloud, returning to his shovel.

“She’s scared, too, you know.”

Cloud’s eyes flickered to the girl digging slowly near him. His eyes softened as they fell on the attractive girl, her light brown hair pulled back in a hair tie and her remarkably pretty face smeared with dirt.

“So she takes it out on us?” asked Cloud. “Don’t try and justify her actions. Now is not the time for our own to turn against us.”

“Our own?” she giggled. “We’re no different to the ones who keep us here. We’re all human, aren’t we?”

“They’re demons,” scoffed Cloud. “How can you stand there as you are and defend them?”

“I am not,” she said calmly. “It is our choices which make us what we are, not our beings, because we are human.”

“And where has this knowledge gotten you?” demanded Cloud. “Huh?”

“A happier place than where you are,” she said softly, “because I hope for change.”

“Change?” laughed Cloud. “Don’t be so foolish. If change comes, it’ll be long after we’re dead.”

“Perhaps,” she allowed. “But it will come nonetheless.”

Cloud ignored her, returning to his digging. For several moments they remained silent, with Cloud wondering why he wanted her to talk again. Naive though she was, she was pleasant to listen to. Her presence, though lighter, reminded him of Tifa back before they were captured. Only this girl was gentler and sweet, albeit persistent.

“I’m Aeris Gainsborough,” she said suddenly. “And you?”

“Cloud Strife,” he replied slowly, pursing his lips at her extravagant name.

“Unusual name,” she commented, “but I like it – you strike me as someone experiencing strife. Hey, perhaps this was your destiny.”

“How uncharacteristically cynical of you,” said Cloud curtly.

“Is that how I sounded?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious. Cloud chanced a look at her and saw that she was staring back. The striped clothes did nothing for her already slight figure. She was different to Tifa - tall where Tifa was small and slim where Tifa was curvy. Despite her obvious young age she carried herself like a woman whose wisdom stretched beyond her years.

“You sound insane,” replied Cloud honestly. She shot him an amused smile and continued digging.

“Perhaps,” she murmured, “Or am I the opposite?”

“Huh?” asked Cloud dumbly.

“Come on,” she urged, ignoring his prompt. “We should get back to work before little Yuffie catches us.”

Cloud did as she suggested, a small smile gracing his face. What a weird, refreshing girl. Maybe he could make friends after all.

After they had finished, they were marched back to their barracks, Aeris bravely giving Cloud a wave as she went a different way to him, her steps light and playful.

“Who’s the girl?”

Cloud looked over his shoulder to see Barret frowning at him with distrust.

“Her name is Aeris,” he replied. “She’s... friendly.”

“Hmph,” snorted Barret. He obviously hadn’t forgotten Cloud’s neglect to save Tifa. Cloud couldn’t take that back, but he sure as hell wouldn’t let it happen again. He chuckled to himself, feeling rather pathetic. He’d met Aeris once and already felt completely protective over her. No matter... There was no harm in protecting your friends.

Cloud went to sleep, not knowing how ironic his last thought was.

~

A shrill scream pierced the air, and quickly, the prisoners flocked to the sound of the noise. Cloud pushed his way through the crowd to see that Reno was standing over a girl, a whip in his right hand and chains in the other. Cloud recognised her immediately.

“Aeris!” he shouted, running forward, and throwing himself in front of her, letting her cling to his chest. He had his back to the Nazis, and he didn’t care. He heard a sigh.

“414770,” laughed Reno. “Why am I not surprised? I told you he’d be a handful, Tseng.”

“414770,” said Tseng firmly. “This girl has been assigned to Block 10. Release her immediately.”

Block 10. Cloud had heard the rumours. No one ever came out of Block 10, and those who went in were said to suffer fates worse than the gas chamber. They wanted to take Aeris there?

“You can suck my dick,” growled Cloud. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“If you insist.”

“Shut up Reno,” snapped Tseng. “Now 414770, I don’t want to have to—”

“What’s taking you so long? Bring me the girl already.”

A man in a lab coat with black hair pulled back in a ponytail and a pair of wire glasses came around the corner, frowning at the sight.

“Professor Hojo, sir,” greeted Tseng. “We were about to bring her; we’re just dealing with a rogue.”

“Kill him,” complained Hojo. “Give me my girl now.”

Tseng reached forward and pulled the two apart with ease, allowing Reno to pull a writhing Aeris up into his arms with no trouble.

“Let go of her,” said Cloud loudly, his voice fearless.

“Shush Cloud,” insisted Aeris desperately. “You’ll get yourself in trouble.”

He’d had enough. He didn’t care anymore whether he lived or died. Cloud regretted not saving Tifa, and he was sick to fucking death of watching his people be slaughtered and played with as though they were dolls. His entire family had been carted away, one by one, never to be seen again. Even if Aeris didn’t want him to try and save her, try he would.

Hojo’s eyes widened considerably before his mouth set into a thin line.

“And I suppose you want to take her place?” offered Hojo, pulling on Aeris’ hair invoking a pained squeal from her.

“Whatever,” said Cloud loudly. “I’m sick of you psychopaths doing whatever you want. You know, sooner or later, people aren’t gonna care whether they die or not, and then you’ll have a problem on your hands because nothing will stop them from fucking up the little system you have going on. You don’t even realise do you? There’s nothing left to do to these people; they have nothing to lose.”

Cloud felt the impact from behind as a stick was cracked across his back yet let out no noise as he hit the floor.

“String him up from the post,” mumbled Hojo to the offender. Cloud risked a look back to see that it was unsurprisingly Tseng who had hit him and was now binding his hands together. He was roughly dragged forwards, around the corner to a long post with a single nail sticking out. Cloud didn’t understand at first, but he was soon made aware, as Tseng lifted him up and hung him by his hands. It felt fine for the moment but Cloud knew he would be there for hours; they’d leave him there till he screamed in agony. He watched in horror as Aeris was dragged away by Hojo’s men. They would take her to Camp 1, to the infamous Block 10. And he would never see her again.

“The Commander is arriving today,” said Tseng in a matter-of-fact tone. “You’d better hope he’s in a good mood; he’d love any excuse for a punching bag.”

Cloud didn’t hold his breath, nor did he care at this point. The bastards had taken everyone at this point. Everyone...

~

Cloud regained consciousness again and winced at the pain in his arms. It wouldn’t be long now before they dislocated. He was weary, sore and starving even more so than usual.

“Who is that?”

The smooth voice spoke out from the silence and Cloud’s eyes shot open to see Tseng looking at him blankly with Reno smirking at his side. The voice had belonged to neither of them, and Cloud painfully raised his head to see a pair of green eyes watching him a few feet away. He was wearing the full uniform, with one of those ridiculously stupid officer hats like Cloud had once seen on television, with his long silver hair pulled loosely back in a ponytail, and his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He looked... angry. An ambiguous uneasiness spread over him, yet Cloud couldn’t keep himself from staring defiantly into the so fiercely malevolent eyes before him.

“414770,” answered Reno, his voice thick with respect. “Little firecracker.”

“We would have disposed of him, but we’re trying to use him as an example to the other prisoners,” added Tseng, “to show how him and his revolutionary ideals will not be tolerated.”

“It’s working,” finished Reno quietly.

“You wish, you fucking bastard,” rasped Cloud, not taking his eyes off the silver haired man.

“Such disrespect,” said the man softly.

“Yes sir he—”

“Let him down,” commanded the man. “I shall deal with him.”

Reno gave a sharp salute before untying Cloud, who fell to the floor in a heap, groaning in pain. The relief was blissful, and the cool ground felt nice against his burning arms. Curling in on himself, Cloud worked to slow his breathing.

“You should kill scum like this immediately,” scolded the silver-haired man. “You should have killed him publically. If you leave him to torture, prisoners will _hope_ for this end over death. There will be no hope in my camp, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Commander Sephiroth,” the two men chimed together.

Commander Sephiroth?

_“Commander Sephiroth has ordered that we cut down on teenage girls.”_

Him. He killed Tifa.

As though his body was painless, Cloud flew at the commander, his fist flying out and hitting the bastard’s face with a sickening _thud._ Before he could even move, he had been thrown to the floor by the very same man. Cloud had never been very strong but that wasn’t the point here – this man had ordered Tifa to her death.

Reno gaped at Cloud’s outburst as Tseng pulled out his pistol. So that was that, then. Cloud was finally going to die now. In the darkness, and no one would ever know how he died, but for the three elitist Nazis in front of him. Cloud had never feared monsters when he was little, and these beasts were no different. He closed his eyes.

“Sergeant Tseng, put away your weapon.”

Cloud was filled with confusion. Commander Sephiroth was sparing him?

“He’s mine to kill.”

Wishful thinking.

“Commander, I apologise profusely,” implored Tseng. “He never should have been allowed to get so close. I’m responsible for your injury.”

“If you value your position and life, begone,” said Sephiroth loudly. “You have been far too soft on the prisoners if one has the audacity to attack me. And don’t be so patronizing to assume that this child could inflict pain on me, mighty as his attempt was.”

“Thank you for your mercy, sir,” said Tseng with a salute. Reno followed suit, and the two walked off. For several minutes, Cloud sat on his knees in silence, his unyielding glare on Sephiroth. The Commander took a step forward and slowly began to circle Cloud, who did not dare move an inch.

“Are you afraid, little Jew?” asked Sephiroth politely.

“You have nothing to threaten me with,” spat Cloud.

“I’ve seen many a man claim to not fear death,” countered Sephiroth softly, “but when push came to shove... the last thing in their eyes was pure, unadulterated fear. Do not think you are any different boy. I am far wiser than you.”

“If you wish to threaten me, Nazi dog,” laughed Cloud darkly, “threaten me with life. There’s no one left I love, that Hojo bastard took my only friend. You... You killed everyone I loved. And I fear nothing – no level of pain, not even death, can frighten me now.”

“Then you are more naive than I thought,” answered Sephiroth.

“And you are boring me,” huffed Cloud. “Just do it already. Do it here, in the dark, like a coward. Because that’s all any of you are. Cowards.”

From behind, a blinding pain hit him and he soared forwards, crying out. Before he could come around, a hand grasped his blond hair and yanked him up. Sephiroth, inches away from his face, was smirking in amusement.

“Such a naive, idealistic little Jew,” cooed Sephiroth. “Let me tell you this, boy – you are not a person and you are not free. Everyone in this camp, including you, belongs to me. You’re a number, nothing more. You may think you want to die now, but in actuality you don’t want to die under these circumstances, under the circumstance of being _nothing._ Your defiance is amusingly persistent for the moment, but you are not brave, you are foolish. There will come a time when you will truly care not whether you live or die. Why should I kill you now, before breaking your spirit?”

Cloud grimaced against the pain and suppressed a wince as Sephiroth dug his nails into his upper arm.

“There will also come a time when you will get your comeuppance,” warned Cloud. “You don’t really think this bullshit can last forever do you?”

“I’ve a plan for everything, little Jew,” he said, his eyes smiling. “Even you.”

“I don’t fear death,” repeated Cloud. “No one here does.”

“True,” allowed Sephiroth. “It is not death that people fear...”

He leaned forward, his lips grazing against Cloud’s ear invasively.

“... It’s me.”

Cloud shivered involuntarily, and Sephiroth pulled back, his eyebrow arched quizzically. He glanced at Cloud’s arm, where the cursed number lay.

“Return to your barrack, 414770,” ordered Sephiroth.

Cloud rose to his feet and glared hatefully at the silver-haired man, who stared back in obvious amusement.

“My name is Cloud, demon,” snapped Cloud, stalking away.

~

As Sephiroth watched the little blond storm away he was filled with an excitement he hadn’t felt in years. The commander of the camp was fairly sure he was amongst the most feared men in existence and yet no matter how much it pissed him off to admit it, the little Jew wasn’t nearly as afraid as he should have been. He was scared yet defiant, audacious and obstinate.

Absolutely beautiful.

There were two things Sephiroth loved in life: blood and screams. Combine them with that blond cherub and you’d have the perfect package. And why should Sephiroth deny himself that little treat?

He would have the boy, and he would destroy him.

~

Cloud lay awake the whole night, listening to the frightened whimpers of the other sleeping prisoners, gently rubbing his sore shoulders, and thinking of nothing but Aeris.

Was she still alive? Or perhaps undergoing torture as he lay there wondering? Part of him wished the Commander had killed him, but he supposed the silver-haired man wasn’t that merciful. Not that Cloud would ever let on, but the man unnerved him, or rather the man’s lack of visible sanity. Well, he told himself Sephiroth was insane, but what he really feared was the possibility that the commander of Auschwitz was entirely _sane._ He could do nothing but hope he never saw the silver Commander again. Not that the man would even remember Cloud existed.

Right?

Cloud closed his eyes, willing himself to think of something else.

_“You’ll always protect me, right?” asked Tifa, giving him a gentle look as the two of them sat on the burning ground._

_“Sure,” agreed Cloud. “I am a supreme warrior capable of saving you, damsel.”_

_She giggled softly, but her expression soon darkened._

_“I had a dream last night,” she said quietly. “That they found us and took us away. That they killed us.”_

_“They won’t find us, Tif’,” said Cloud firmly. “And if they did, I’d never let them kill us.”_

_“I know,” she said, perking up. “You’d never let that happen.”_

Her being flickered.

_“I trust you.”_

She was Aeris.

_“It’s a promise!”_

There was blood everywhere.

_“Cloud!” screamed Tifa._

Cloud woke with a jolt, feeling the pitiful eyes on him as he panted heavily. Pulling himself out of bed, Cloud crossed over to where a small group of men gathered.

They were looking down at a man in his mid forties. There was a possibility he may have been younger, but the camp had aged him far beyond his years. The first thing Cloud noticed was that his skin on his chest was pale, waxy and... moving.

“Got lice underneath his skin,” sighed one man. “I seen this happen far too often. Word of advice, kid, when they give you the option to go into the wash house, take it. Lest you end up like this fella.”

“Best hope they kill him soon,” murmured another man. “He can’t even speak for pain the poor wretch.”

Cloud felt nauseous, and could stay there no longer, turning on his feet and making a beeline for the door outside. It was raining, and Cloud worried he’d get ill but also basked in the delight of having the cool water wash his skin, and after the sight he’d just seen, he even found himself rubbing his face and arms clean.

“Cloud, is it?”

Cloud turned to see Yuffie standing before him, her face set hard and angry.

“What?” he asked bluntly.

“What about Aeris?” she demanded, following at his feet insistently.

“Are you serious?” he asked incredulously. “You’re a kapo, why do you care?”

“I didn’t choose to be,” she snapped. “Aeris understood that, and it’s not like I could just leave. What if they kill me for it?”

“I didn’t ask for your fucking life story,” sighed Cloud, suddenly turning to face the small girl. “Listen, if I knew how to save her I would.”

Yuffie scrunched her face up in disgust.

“Just like with that girlfriend of yours?” she snapped. “You haven’t even tried. I happen to know for a fact that they haven’t touched Aeris yet, but if we don’t do something soon, they’ll hack her up, Cloud.”

Cloud stared at the girl with curiosity. He would have gasped at her change of heart but in all honesty, Aeris could probably attract the affections of Hojo himself if she were so inclined, so it was no surprise Yuffie wanted to save her.

“I’m a kapo, you tosspot,” she continued. “You think I can’t get into Block 10?”

“And what then?” demanded Cloud. “Say we do manage to get her out, what do we do then? They’ll catch us and we’ll all die – we can’t escape Auschwitz, Yuffie.”

“Well I’m tired of this place anyway,” insisted Yuffie. “If we die, we die, so be it. It’s better than being here. I want to die on my own terms, not when they feel like having me die.”

Her words were irrefutable. She was right.

“Look, how long does Aeris have?” asked Cloud quietly.

“A few days at the most,” said Yuffie. “We have time to plan but we need to act quickly.”

“The carriages,” said Cloud suddenly. “They come in and they go out. They’re our only hope. If we try going over the walls, they’ll shoot us immediately.”

“It’s worth a shot,” she said, beaming at him. “So you’re in? Barret says he’s up for it as well.”

“Yeah, just don’t go shouting it about, okay?” he suggested.

She nodded and gave him a little salute before hurrying away. He didn’t think he’d see the day he’d be organising escape plans with Yuffie, but then anything was possible there.

“414770.”

Sighing, Cloud turned around to see who his latest annoyance was. Unfortunately, it was Reno. His uniform looked as messy as usual and Cloud could have sworn he saw a bit of blood on his cheek. Reno had an aura that made you relaxed enough to forget sometimes that he was indeed a sadistic fucker.

“Or can I call you Cloud? I feel like we’ve reached that stage.”

“Can I help you?” asked Cloud.

“You audacity eludes me,” laughed Reno. “Anyway, you’re coming with me.”

“What?” demanded Cloud.

“Don’t give me that,” warned Reno. “I was surprised to hear this morning that you were still alive and clearly kicking. I wouldn’t hold your breath, though. Commander Sephiroth has requested your presence.”

“You make it sound as though we’re going to sit and have tea,” said Cloud.

“Well, Sephiroth is fond of having tea post-murder,” replied Reno sardonically. “You seem pretty relaxed – most would have shit themselves by now if they knew I was taking them to the Commander.”

“I figured his ‘punishment’ would come sooner or later,” explained Cloud. “Better sooner if you ask me.”

“You’ll have a change of heart soon enough,” mumbled Reno enigmatically. Cloud frowned. For all his talk, he was genuinely a little scared. For one, he was potentially walking to his death and two, at the hands of that weird man it would probably be excruciatingly painful. Besides, he didn’t _want_ to die. Not unless freedom was impossible... But after the talk with Yuffie, his resolve was crumbling even further, and he began to feel nervous as he approached the first camp with its tall brick buildings. Block 10. As he walked past it he heard a bloodcurdling screech of torture.

“I heard she’s still alive... for now,” said Reno knowingly. “Shame, really, she was nice to look at.”

“You speak rather highly of your prisoners,” said Cloud sarcastically.

“Hey, they may be pretty but they’re still fucking Jews,” countered Reno. “And watch your mouth, kid, or you won’t live to see the inside of the Commander’s quarters.”

“You’re taking me to his quarters?” exclaimed Cloud.

“You would expect him to come to yours?” demanded Reno, coming to a Block and stopping outside the door.

“I’m not allowed in,” said Reno. “This entire Block is his. Well, in you go. I’ll see you in hell, blondie.”

Cloud gripped the handle and pushed it open, tentatively stepping inside. Reno immediately reached round and shut the door loudly behind him. Cloud stood there in the corridor, waiting.

“Come,” called Sephiroth. His voice could be heard from the room at the very end, directly in front of Cloud, the door already open. Gritting his teeth, Cloud began to walk, his fear growing with every step he took. The act itself was a form of torture, like telling him to walk into his sword rather than putting his sword through him.

When he reached the doorway he took a deep breath before stepping inside. He was surprised to see the Commander sat behind a desk scribbling furiously at paperwork, a pair of wire glasses on his nose. He was not in full uniform, wearing only a white shirt with most of the buttons undone, his hair pulled loosely back as usual, his bangs hanging forward and – wait. Why the fuck was Cloud even staring? This camp was driving _him_ insane. Cloud stood there for several minutes before Sephiroth finally put down his pen and rose from his seat.

“Well?” asked Cloud.

Sephiroth’s eyes immediately widened with amusement, and he walked around to lean back on his desk casually.

“Do you know why you are here, 414770?” asked Sephiroth, his voice thick with false kindness.

“Oh, you remembered my name?” asked Cloud, mirroring his tone. “How sweet!”

Sephiroth’s eyes darkened for a moment, and the atmosphere immediately fell dangerous. Cloud mentally kicked himself for needlessly provoking the Commander. If he wanted to live, he was giving a believable performance of the opposite.

“Well, it seems I must skip the pleasantries,” sighed Sephiroth. “On your knees, boy.”

“What?” demanded Cloud.

“If you beg for forgiveness, perhaps I will go easy on you,” offered Sephiroth.

Did he think Cloud was stupid? There was no way this man would go easy on him.

“Listen, I’m not going to fucking apologise,” snapped Cloud. “I haven’t done a single thing wrong, so if you’re going to ‘punish’ me, just do it already.”

Cloud stared at Sephiroth, unwilling to break eye contact first, and felt unnerved when the Commander broke out in a sly smile.

“Have it your way,” said Sephiroth, reaching for a long whip. “Remove your shirt.”

“Like hell I will,” snapped Cloud.

“Do as you’re told or I’ll kill you,” said Sephiroth simply. “It’s that easy.”

Cloud thought about it logically. He didn’t want to die, really. Not yet, anyway. But...

He was scared. As much as he hated it, he knew that Sephiroth would not hold back on his punishment. Perhaps... perhaps if Cloud were to cooperate, the ordeal would be more bearable.

Cloud slid the shirt over his head and discarded it on the floor, his eyes challenging Sephiroth to do his worst.

“Brace yourself against the wall,” ordered Sephiroth.

“What do you mean?” demanded Cloud.

Sephiroth smirked again, and crossed the room faster than Cloud could move, grabbing him and positioning him at the wall. He stood behind him, pressed against his back for a moment.

“You will count each strike,” said Sephiroth quietly into his ear. “Out loud. If you lose count I will start again, am I clear?”

“Crystal,” spat Cloud maliciously. Sephiroth let out a low chuckle and moved back. Cloud felt the first strike, chewing his lip to avoid crying out at the bite of the whip.

“One,” he rasped quietly. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain, but if he didn’t concentrate on each strike he’d lose count. He supposed that was the point.

At thirty-seven, he felt blood run down his back, by this point, he couldn’t hold back the exclamations of pain no matter how much he tried. He kept count perfectly, but he knew the commander would be smug at having Cloud cry out in pain.

“Fifty!” cried Cloud, his breath loud and his legs struggling to keep.

“You may fall now, 414770,” said Sephiroth, his voice thick with triumph. Cloud slumped to a heap on the floor, his eyelids heavy. Sephiroth came to stand over him, pulling Cloud’s head up by his hair.

“Well, you know how to follow orders at any rate,” said Sephiroth. “And here I was thinking you were a lawless rebel.”

“Fuck you,” spat Cloud.

“I spoke too soon,” murmured Sephiroth, running his hand over Cloud’s hair. Without any warning, the commander threw Cloud over his shoulder.

“Let me down!” shouted Cloud, his voice hoarse from the screaming. Sephiroth ignored him, and no matter how much Cloud resisted he could not get down. Digging his nails into Sephiroth’s, back he saw thin red lines appear. The commander didn’t even flinch. Sephiroth carried him through a door and threw him down onto a thin mattress. He was in a cell? No...

It was more like a cage.

“Let me go back to the barracks,” said Cloud immediately.

“I’m not through with your punishment,” replied Sephiroth. “You’re the cause of pandemonium in my orderly camp. How am I to punish you properly if you’re all the way in Birkenau?”

“You... you just punished me then,” said Cloud in disbelief.

Sephiroth smiled in hilarity, crouching down and grabbing Cloud’s chin painfully.

“Little Jew...” said Sephiroth. “I haven’t even started yet.”

With that, the commander left the cage and locked it shut, sauntering off. Cloud assessed the situation – he was being held in a cage in Commander Sephiroth’s private quarters to be an object of torture.

_Now_ he was in hell.

~

When Sephiroth hit thirteen, the boy let out his first noise.

It was a whimper, a soft protest of pain that resounded through Sephiroth’s entire body. Oh yes... What a perfect sound that was. A thrill swept through Sephiroth at the thought of having the boy half naked in his quarters, screaming underneath his favourite whip. He wanted to take him and break him right there and then, but he couldn’t. Not yet.

414770, Cloud, was surprisingly good at following Sephiroth’s orders. He did not once lose count or resist his punishment. The commander wondered if the blond was even aware of just how submissive he was appearing right now – he probably thought himself being manly, yet the idea was lost on Sephiroth.

414770 was a prisoner of Sephiroth’s. His being belonged to him as long as he was in the camp, and yet Sephiroth acknowledged that Cloud’s mind was not imprisoned like everyone else’s, but free.

_A game then_ , thought Sephiroth, _How long will it take before your mind belongs to me as well, little Jew?_

“Fifty!”

The cry sounded almost orgasmic, and graced Sephiroth’s ears with delicious gratification, almost causing Sephiroth to rethink his plan. But if the Commander of Auschwitz was anything, he was a man of great self-control and self-denial.

“You may fall now, 414770,” said Sephiroth triumphantly as Cloud slumped to the floor. Longing to be near him, Sephiroth crossed over to his soon-to-be toy and knelt down, grabbing the boy’s soft hair and pulling his head up so he could see the indolent expression on the boy’s tired face.

“Well, you know how to follow orders at any rate,” said Sephiroth enticingly. “And here I was thinking you were a lawless rebel.”

Self-control was indeed his greatest feat.

“Fuck you!”

But this child was pushing all of his buttons.

~

Yuffie probably thought he’d skipped out on the plan. How long had he been in the cage now? Two days? Two days without any food and little water. He hadn’t even seen Sephiroth since he’d been thrown in there, and his back was still sore. What if it got infected? Aeris’ time was coming to a close, and Cloud could only hope to god that if Yuffie had followed through with her plan they’d gotten away safely. The dim light from the window had faded and Cloud supposed it was long into the night at this point, and yet he could not bring himself to sleep for fear. As if reading his mind, the door to the left of him swung open angrily. Cloud stared at Sephiroth, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of his captor’s uncharacteristically furious face.

“Planned to escape, did we?”

_No..._

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Cloud quickly.

“Your friends beg to differ,” said Sephiroth, moving into the room. “Oh, at first they were reluctant to sell you out, but I already knew you’d done it. Not to worry... a little bit of pain sorted them out just fine.”

“What did you do?” asked Cloud furiously.

“My job,” said Sephiroth flatly, unlocking the cell door. He held out a hand in front of him.

“Come here.”

“Like hell I’ll come to you,” spat Cloud. “And if you hurt my friends I’ll fucking kill you.”

Sephiroth’s green eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“Come here,” repeated Sephiroth. “Or your friends die – it is as simple as that.”

Cloud’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of what Sephiroth could and probably would do to them. After all, he didn’t even know who Sephiroth had caught, or what they’d been caught for. Tentatively, he began to idle forwards, stopping just short of Sephiroth’s hand.

“Well, move then?”

Sephiroth, clearly not in the mood for games, grabbed Cloud waist roughly and yanked him from his prison, promptly carrying a squirming blonde from the building. They approached a gate between two blocks, inside which was a courtyard. At the end was a single wall made of bricks. There, Tseng and Reno had hold of two girls – Aeris and Yuffie.

“Cloud!” cried Yuffie. “Where have you been?”

Cloud gaped at her bruised face, and the blood trickling from her bust lip. Tseng had her held on her knees by one arm as she sobbed, her blood dripping onto the ground. He chanced a look at Aeris. No bruises, but instead a series of neat cuts over her arms and chest. She had no tears, and was almost smiling, as though to reassure him somehow.

“Yes, where have you been?” asked Sephiroth tauntingly. “Because apparently, this young lady thinks you were meant to be somewhere else.”

“Cloud has nothing to do with this,” said Aeris calmly. “Let him go.”

As if to spite the girl, Sephiroth’s grip on Cloud’s waist tightened, crushing him against the Commander’s chest.

“No,” said Cloud firmly. “It was all my idea. Aeris is innocent and I told Yuffie what to do. Please don’t punish them.”

“Punish us?” cried Yuffie. “Look at us, Cloud! You said you’d help! It was your plan!”

“Plan?” asked Sephiroth softly. “What plan, 414770?”

“Be quiet, Yuffie!” scolded Aeris.

Aeris. She was willing to take the fall when it had been Cloud’s idea, and he hadn’t even shown up. He hadn’t protected her like he’d promised himself he would. It was like Tifa all over again, only worse.

He had to at least try.

“I came up with the plan,” said Cloud honestly. “I told Yuffie to use her position to get to Aeris, and then we were going to escape in the carriage on its way back out.”

“No, Cloud!” cried Aeris.

“You would try to escape?” asked Sephiroth feigning surprise. Smug bastard had known what was up all along.

“I persuaded him to!” shouted Yuffie at last. “He didn’t come up with the idea, I did, and I pestered him until he agreed!”

“Yuffie...” whispered Cloud. Her brown eyes were thick with guilt and regret, as though she was telepathically apologizing.

“You didn’t force me to,” Cloud disagreed. “I wanted to save Aeris too.”

“But I was selfish,” wept Yuffie. “I wanted us all to escape. To be together forever even if it meant we died. Well here we are, and I’m not sure I want to die anymore. All I’ve done is shortened your lives.”

“I was dying anyway Yuffie,” said Aeris gently. “You all tried, that’s all that matters.”

“Yuffie,” said Cloud, “I would have gone for Aeris anyway. You think I’d have just let her die like that?”

“Yet she will still die like that,” said Tseng.

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is,” interrupted Aeris. “The only fault here is that we didn’t get away. And I’m glad we didn’t, because we didn’t have Cloud.”

“You’re right...” agreed Yuffie. “We hadn’t even located Cloud yet.”

Yuffie looked at Cloud pleadingly.

“Cloud,” she said imploringly. “I wouldn’t have left without finding you.”

“Then look on the bright side,” said Aeris. “We have him now, don’t we?”

Yuffie smiled miserably.

“No,” said Sephiroth quietly. “You don’t have him at all.”

Suddenly, Tseng grabbed Yuffie by the hair and threw her against the wall with a _crack._ The girl spun around at the second the dark-haired Nazi fired his gun straight into her head.

“NO!” screamed Cloud, writhing frantically. “YUFFIE!”

A single tear dripped down Aeris’ cheek as she gazed upon the body of the girl who’d tried to save her. The entire wall was smeared with blood and brains. Her head had practically exploded, and she now lay in an insensible heap upon the ground.

“Take the girl back to Hojo,” ordered Sephiroth. The two men nodded and helped Aeris up, who walked away without any resistance whatsoever. Her head hung slightly lower than usual.

Cloud’s chest was wracked with hysterical sobs, his vision partially blinded by the tears. He had just seen someone he knew, a friend, die right before his eyes. Because of him. Because he wasn’t there.

Because of this fucking bastard of a man.

“YOU!” roared Cloud. “YOU KILLED HER! YOU’RE A MONSTER!”

“Good,” said Sephiroth contentedly. “I see you’re beginning to understand.”

“Let go of me!” shouted Cloud, kicking backward in an attempt to free himself. Smiling, the commander took a step forward—

—and shoved Cloud face first against the wall.

The smell of the blood filled his nose like acid as he felt the sticky, lumpy remains of Yuffie against his face. Disgust, shock and fear hit him like a train, and he howled in terror, his feet unable to stand on anything but the tiny body of his friend.

“Stop it,” sobbed Cloud, too afraid to open his eyes. “Please, stop it...”

“Oh, so now the bitch begs?” taunted Sephiroth. “The girl committed a crime – she corrupted my already damned prisoners.”

“She didn’t convince me,” spat Cloud, tears streaming. “I did it myself.”

“I don’t think you did,” said Sephiroth. “You’re not as saintly as others may think.”

“You’re a fucking bastard,” whispered Cloud.

“Mm, not at all a saint,” mused Sephiroth.

Cloud tried to move, but when he did he felt something hard press against his back. Surely a gun...

“What are you...?” Cloud trailed off as he felt a single finger pull the waistband of his striped pants.

He froze.

“Don’t you dare,” breathed Cloud.

Sephiroth did not reply and Cloud’s horror turned to utter panic. The sound of fabric tearing almost sent the blonde into a frenzy. The cool air hitting his bare skin only drove home the reality of the situation. Commander Sephiroth had just taken off his trousers.

“Let go!” squealed Cloud, losing his facade of bravery.

“Let go?” taunted Sephiroth quietly. “Let go?”

“Please!” shrieked Cloud. “Please let me go! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!”

There was silence for a moment, save for the measured breathing from Sephiroth as he held Cloud perfectly still.

“... No.”

Without a word or signal of warning, a pain in Cloud’s lower regions seared throughout his body and he let out a scream, causing Sephiroth to immediately put his hand against Cloud’s mouth. He clamped down instantly as he felt Sephiroth’s member inside him, filling him, _tearing him._ He tried so desperately to move but the man had him held firmly in place, and Cloud’s eyes rolled back slightly at the blinding agony he felt. The pain intensified as Sephiroth eased out, and immediately slammed back in again. He screamed against the leather glove.

“Such a frightened little bird in reality... Does it hurt? Does it hurt, little Jew?”

Cloud could barely see from agony and simply screamed harder when Sephiroth became more violent with his thrusts, if that were even possible. He felt blood run down his thighs and into his mouth from the Commander’s own hand, and wished for anything other than the pain he was feeling now. There was something beneath the pain and the terror, something else he longed to grasp but couldn’t, and so he sobbed, and he cried, and he waited. Until finally, the man groaned, pulling quickly out and letting the boy drop to the floor. Cloud closed his eyes and lay there.

“If you wished to die now, I’d be more inclined to believe you.” Sephiroth’s voice was thick with presumptuous triumph.

Cloud gritted his teeth, tears still streaming.

“I would live... if only to see _you_ die first.”

Cloud could not summon the will to gaze upon the commander, but judging from the rough way Sephiroth threw him over his shoulder, he was not pleased with Cloud’s answer. Cloud could not care less; he had been violated in every possible way. If ever there was something left for the Nazis to do to him, the demon he was with right then had cleared it. Cloud was too drained, both physically and emotionally, to struggle against the man at that moment.

“Why do you keep me alive?” whispered Cloud, out of frustrated curiosity.

He received no reply, and as the pain in his behind grew with every step the commander took, he lost consciousness against the man’s back, welcoming the ignorance of sleep.


	2. Branded

"It doesn't matter, I'm fine," she told the gaunt prisoner as he looked at her apologetically. They had run out of food.

Aeris was rather sick of lying.

She'd been doing it since she'd got there. In all fairness, it helped others keep their hope, their sanity even, but every lie that left her lips was detrimental to her own mind. Because she knew better. It was not okay at all that Yuffie had endangered the three of them in her horrendously rushed escape plan, and yet she had lied because she knew that Yuffie would die. When Cloud had not appeared, Yuffie had attempted to free Aeris and _then_ look for him. Silly, yet there was no point in disheartening the poor girl right before she had a bullet put in her head.

Commander Sephiroth had been the reason Cloud hadn't met up with her, and Aeris blanched at the thought of it. She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what was going on. She looked about her little cell, waiting and waiting for the time when Hojo would send for her to cut her open alive and realised, with a devastating thought, that she'd still rather be there than wherever Cloud was. At least, that's what she hoped for.

She couldn't expect Cloud to save her now – he had his own problems and she didn't even know what condition he was in. Was he even alive?

With no one to save her, a friend in dire need, and an ominous sense of foreboding, tears of pure fury streamed down her face.

__

When Cloud woke he shivered against the cool metal of the cage floor, rolling over to halt the aching in his shoulder. He winced at the soreness of his body and let out a silent moan of pain. A clang caused him to start and flinch back into a corner, alertness soaring through him. His clothes were gone completely – he was left with nothing but air inside his prison. The room was still dark, but Cloud knew exactly who had turned up and clenched his teeth.

"Get away from me," hissed Cloud.

"Come."

"Fuck you," spat Cloud.

"Come here or die of an infection," warned Sephiroth, "It's up to you."

Cloud couldn't have cared less at that moment, and shrunk into the corner, drawing his arms around himself.

"Fine," laughed Sephiroth, "I hope you enjoy the feel of your little friend's brains on your skin."

Cloud felt beyond nauseous at that moment, and hyperaware of the muck and gore coating his skin. It smelled rancid, and he clambered to his feet, walking to the doorway. Sephiroth grabbed his wrist tightly and dragged him through the hall into a bathroom. He threw him under the shower head.

"You have 10 minutes," said Sephiroth bluntly, "And you'd better be spotless."

He slammed the door shut, leaving Cloud alone.

"I don't hear that water running."

Cloud turned the water on, desperately rubbing the muck from him. The water ran red and brown and he worked quickly to scrub every last bit of gore from his body. Getting it out of his hair took a few panicked minutes. He sighed finally, figuring he had a few minutes before Sephiroth returned.

It was then when he saw the window, slightly ajar in the corner of the room. Leaving the shower running, he ran to it, opening it more, and slipping out without a second thought. His feet hit the ground beneath him and he looked around. The camp had yet to wake up. Stealthily, Cloud hurried around the edge of the block and-

Ran smack bang into Reno. Reno blinked at him for a moment before smirking in amusement.

"Okay blondie," he laughed, "Your attempt was admirable, but where were you intending to go?"

Cloud ignored the question, turning to run, only to find Reno's arms locked tight around his waist.

"I can't have naked princesses running around the camp," said Reno matter-of-factly, "Come on, let's take you back."

"I don't want to," said Cloud, "Please you don't understand – he hurts me!"

"I understand perfectly what he does to you," said Reno, "Hm, you're all wet. You could have died out here, where is your survival instinct?"

"It was my survival instinct that caused me to run," shot Cloud.

"Touche," chuckled Reno, knocking on Sephiroth's door, "But if he doesn't kill you now, I'll be very surprised."

Sephiroth opened the door.

"I thought I said..."

He trailed off, staring at Cloud in Reno's arms.

"Missing something?" asked Reno.

"My toys have a habit of just walking off," replied Sephiroth curtly. He reached out grabbing Cloud by his wet hair and throwing him in the house behind him.

"Thank you, Reno."

"No problem, sir."

The door slammed shut, and Cloud scrambled to his feet, glaring defiantly at Sephiroth, who turned around, his eyes boring into him.

"Do you have a death wish, little Jew?"

Cloud did not reply, uneasiness spreading as Sephiroth began to walk slowly towards him. For every step Sephiroth took, Cloud took one back. He was not going to let Sephiroth walk all over him.

"Were you bored in the shower all by yourself?" asked Sephiroth, "Is that why you went away?"

Cloud continued to move backwards, unable to tear his eyes from Sephiroth's furious ones.

"Did you feel _empty_ without me?"

Bastard.

"Don't flatter yourself," spat Cloud, "I've had better."

It was a bad time for Cloud to hit the wall at the end of the corridor. Shit. He was trapped. He shot out, trying to open one of the doors only to find it locked. Sephiroth grabbed him by the hips and pulled him violently towards him, so that Cloud slammed into his chest.

"Don't you dare lie to me," murmured Sephiroth, "I know a virgin when I fuck one."

Cloud wriggled against him.

"And don't you _ever_ try to run from me again."

His hand trailed down to stroke Cloud's inner thigh.

"Let go of me!"

"Don't attempt to deny me of my own property."

Cloud gritted his teeth and tried desperately to will his mind away, like his mother had told him to do when he was frightened. But he couldn't draw his attention away from the imposing hand on his leg. He was still for a moment, hoping the man would relinquish his hold and when that didn't happen Cloud began to writhe again. It was futile of course; he was tiny compared to the Commander. Sephiroth's hand gripped Cloud's penis and squeezed harshly, causing him to yelp, barely holding back the whimpers of pain.

"I hate you!"

"Do you now?" murmured Sephiroth, his voice thick with amusement.

Cloud gave a short laugh of defiance.

"Do as you wish," said Cloud, "you'll only kill me in the end anyway."

"Am I experiencing déjà vu" mused Sephiroth, "or have you spat this bullshit at me before?"

"Fuck you."

All was silent for a moment, and Cloud felt a wave of satisfaction that was soon dispelled when Sephiroth dragged him into a room and pushed him into a cell. It was not just any cell

The walls were hugged against him, and he was effectively rendered immobile. He couldn't turn, sit down, anything. The pitch black hole he had just been shoved into was his worst nightmare if there ever was one. He winced as he heard the door lock harshly, a chuckle following it.

"See you in a few days, little Jew," called Sephiroth, "I'd like to see you try and escape from there."

He didn't even have any clothes. Naked in the darkness and unable to move at all, fresh tears streamed down Cloud's cheeks. The commander had said he'd return in a few days. Cloud wondered faintly whether he'd be dead by then.

\--

Sephiroth made his way across the camp with an unwelcome feeling of irritation. 414770, Cloud, decided to run? An admirable attempt, no doubt, but irritating nonetheless.

"Commander Sephiroth," greeted Reno, falling into step beside him. Sephiroth clicked his tongue, not in the mood for the red-head's antics. As though he ever was. He ignored the man, which apparently meant nothing to the shameless soldier as he proceeded to ask Sephiroth a fairly audacious question.

"I was just curious," he began, "What did you do with the little blondie?"

"That," replied Sephiroth, "is absolutely none of your business."

"You're no fun."

"And you're asking for a pin in your eye."

Reno let out a laugh and began to walk away. Granted, not many would have survived speaking to Sephiroth in such a way, but Sephiroth had known Reno since he was a child and their families were connected. It would not do to murder him. Then again, convenience was never actually a priority when thinking of people he could kill; one did tire of relieving prisoners of their lives.

"Oh," called Reno, "Your office – you have a telegram from that imbecile of yours."

A smirk spread across his face.

\--

Cloud woke with a jolt as he heard a door open somewhere. No one else was in here; it was Sephiroth's own personal set of prisons. It could only be him. He cursed the feeling of relief that spread through him, but he prayed to every god he didn't believe in that he was going to be let out. He could no longer bear the cell – it was a torture in itself, standing up for days, no food, no water, nowhere to even piss except for where he stood. The denial of water had sent his mind completely woozy, and he could barely see. The door swung open and he practically fell out, his face hitting someone's chest before falling straight to the floor, his muscles and bones screaming in relief as he curled into a ball. He peered through tired eyes – it was Sephiroth. Of course it was.

"How are we doing, little Jew?" asked Sephiroth casually.

"Water," rasped Cloud, his voice barely more than a whisper. Sephiroth let out a cruel laugh, and disappeared for a moment. When he returned he poured an entire bucket of cold water over Cloud's head as he lay on the floor. He opened his mouth, trying desperately to swallow as much water as he could given the circumstances. His empty stomach protested as the water hit it painfully and he panted, wondering how it was that he was always looking up at Sephiroth from the floor.

"Perhaps you need a shower," suggested Sephiroth, "And perhaps you'll refrain from running this time."

He grabbed Cloud by the hair and pulled him harshly to his feet, ignoring Cloud's squeal of protest. He was marched upstairs and sent into the shower, only this time, Sephiroth did not leave him alone. He stood with the door open, leaning casually on the frame, his unblinking eyes on Cloud the entire time. When he was done he was thrown, soaking wet, into his 'cage' again, almost startled when Sephiroth gestured for him to come near the door, which he did so without complaint.

Sephiroth procured a piece of bread from his pocket and held it out to Cloud who gaped for a moment before tentatively reaching for it, only to find it out of his reach again.

"Manners."

Oh. Cloud furrowed his brow angrily, which only earned him an amused smirk from Sephiroth as he lazily tossed the bread around in his hands. For several minutes, it was a manner of a battle of wills before Cloud finally relented – he was too weary and hungry by this point to care.

"Please," he murmured quietly.

Sephiroth put the bread through the cage and straight to Cloud's mouth, and he ate it in one, taking it straight from his hand. He was too afraid that if he didn't, it would be taken away from him, leaving him to starve to death. After that, Sephiroth left without explanation and Cloud pondered the reasons for his lack of attention. He'd expected further torment, but the Commander had just left. 3 days he had spent in that rotten cell – he'd counted – and Sephiroth didn't even acknowledge him once he was out. Had the novelty worn off or something? Did this mean he would be sent back to the normal camp? The man had barely even spoken to him... he was going to forget how to talk. If that was possible.

He still needed more water, but weary, and finally able to move he moved to the far corner of the cell and curled into himself, every inch of him aching in pain as he struggled intensely to fall asleep.

\--

Sephiroth didn't come for a long while, at least not properly, and Cloud began to wonder why he was even there. On one hand, the absence of the bastard was one for celebration, but it also filled him with confusion. He'd come in the morning to feed him, and had not spoken a word, before leaving again. That had been hours and hours ago; was the Commander busy?

Cloud mentally scolded himself for even dwelling on the subject. It didn't matter why he was there, it only mattered that he was. He had very little to think about to distract him from his current reality; he'd have planned another escape plan but honestly, his mind hadn't the willpower for such a risk at the moment. Despite how it seemed, even to Sephiroth himself, Cloud wanted very much to live. He liked life; he had so many things he hadn't done yet, as clichéd as it sounded. He remembered how the other children in his village had planned to go to the big city with him, to live everyday in excitement. How long ago it was now... Now he was a prisoner of the Nazis. Now he was a sitting duck, dreading each moment that drew Sephiroth closer to the door of the cage.

Rolling onto his side, his blonde hair, flopped down slightly over his face and he coughed, the sound echoing through his little hall. With that he closed his eyes and began to sing.

_Rose, Rose, Rose, Red,_  
Will I ever see thee wed?  
I will marry at thy will sir,  
At thy will,  
A thousand years gone by,  
Too late to wonder why,  
I'm here alone,  
If in my darkest hour,  
She rose that fell a flower,  
I should have known. 

"He sings; I think I'm in love."

Cloud's eyes shot open and he scrambled back, pushing himself into the corner again, his body beginning to quiver due to the shock of it. He looked up at the figure in the doorway and was met with another surprise. It was not Sephiroth.

The stranger wore a similar uniform to Sephiroth, with raven locks almost as spiky and unruly as his own, a pair of eyes smiling out that gave the impression he was always happy, and under different circumstances Cloud would have thought him beautiful. If not for the disgusting red band on his arm. The unfamiliarity of the situation made Cloud even more uneasy as he eyed the man jadedly, wrapping his arms around himself as though it could protect him. So now he was on display like some zoo animal?

"Don't be fooled," Sephiroth's voice sounded from behind the man before he came into view. "He's a little brat. Now come, we have much to do, and no time to spend gawking at my pet Jew."

The man arched his eyebrow for a moment, his eyes flashing, before shrugging. "I don't think you should keep him like that though, look at him; he looks ill."

Cloud's eyes softened, and his trembling stopped. Was this Nazi being serious? The way the pair were stood together, one would have presumed them friends, and yet this man had voiced such a genuine observation, that it was almost impossible to believe so. His eyes flickered to Sephiroth who look positively terrifying for reasons Cloud was not too sure of.

"Zack I do not need you to fucking give me a diagnosis," said Sephiroth firmly, "Out."

"Fine but don't blame me if your pet dies before his time," sang Zack, wandering out the room again. Sephiroth gave Cloud a look that could kill (literally, he felt like he was about to have a heart attack) before storming after the unabashed Zack. Cloud wasn't exactly sure what he had done, but nevertheless, he knew he'd probably find out...

And about three hours later, he did.

Cloud awoke to the door to his cell being thrown open with uncharacteristic aggression, and Cloud immediately tensed up. Sephiroth looked down at him, his eyes unblinking and unreadable, as the silver bangs at either side of his head fell forward into his face, casting a shadow there that only made Cloud's fear worse. It was dark outside, that thin line between day and night, and Cloud could hear the shouts of fellow prisoners being beaten. They had no idea.

"Come here."

"Why?" asked Cloud, his eyes locked on Sephiroth's.

"Because," replied the commander simply, "I'm going to make you scream, little Jew."

Nausea spread through him as he began to shake his head in terror, the familiar anger and resistance bubbling up inside him.

"Fuck you."

Sephiroth smiled, as though pleased by the answer, and with that he leaned down in a flash and grasped Cloud's ankle, pulling the boy from the cage before a sound could leave his mouth. And when they could, Cloud was filled with shouts of supplication. A relief he would not get.

He was dragged from the room, screaming in protest as Sephiroth flung him on a table, strapping his hands there. Cloud began to kick his legs violently, but Sephiroth managed to subdue him without much trouble and before he knew it he was trapped, unable to move much at all. A squeak sounded in Cloud's ear as the table was swivelled so that it was almost vertical, leaving Cloud in a fairly upright position. He gazed in horror as Sephiroth came back into his line of vision.

"What do you want?" hissed Cloud, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

"We should get to know each other," said Sephiroth with a dangerously calm smile, "So, tell me about yourself, little Jew."

Cloud gaped incredulously at Sephiroth. Was he serious? He remained silent; whatever game the silver-haired commander wanted to play, he was not partaking. However, apparently he wasn't going to be given the option, as Sephiroth's fist connected with his face, causing him to cry out.

"That wasn't a question," said Sephiroth, "That was an order."

"I'm little," spat Cloud, "And Jewish, but apparently you already knew that."

Sephiroth let out an amused exhalation before turning and approaching a chest of draws, lazily rummaging through them.

"I know your name is Cloud," mused Sephiroth, "But what is your full name?"

"I have none," he said, "You took that from me when you scratched a fucking number into my arm."

"Most Jews refuse to let go of their names," said Sephiroth lightly, "You're letting go of it just to spite me. That makes me sad."

He was back at Cloud's side in an instant and a sharp pain shot through Cloud's arm. It was excruciating, and Cloud let out a strangled cry as a knife was trailed lazily down his forearm, leaving a neat line of blood there. An amused smirk cross Sephiroth's face, and that manic excitement returned to the commander's eyes as he watched the boy's face warp in pain.

"Cloud Strife," growled Cloud, his eyes shut tight against the pain, "My name is Cloud Strife."

"Cloud Strife," chucked Sephiroth, "You're not Cloud Strife. You're nothing, a piece of meat at best. Tell me of how they captured you. Did you see them coming? Or were you eating dinner with you lovely Jewish family talking about whatever you fucking bastards talk about all day as you pollute this earth."

"What the fuck do you have against Jewish people?" demanded Cloud in exasperation, "It's just a goddamn religion, it's not like we murdered babies."

"Of course you didn't," said Sephiroth, "That's my job. And you didn't answer my question, little Jew. I want you to tell me how you felt watching your entire family get dragged away."

"It wasn't my family," said Cloud, his eyes meeting Sephiroth's, "It was just me."

"Orphaned?" asked Sephiroth, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.

"No," said Cloud, "I have a mother, somewhere. It was just me and Tifa who got caught. You of all people should know how you sick Nazi fucks don't need Judaism as an excuse to drag innocent people to a lifetime of death, or worse, torture."

The pain returned to his arm and he whimpered against the knife. As it was pulled away, the commander slapped him with considerable force and his ears began to ring, and Cloud was left wondering why the hell he couldn't just keep his mouth shut. As though speaking would make Sephiroth treat him any kinder.

"I want a description," growled Sephiroth, coming way too close for comfort, "Were you praying at the time. Cutting the foreskin off a baby? Well?"

Cloud glared at Sephiroth. "Your joke was not funny, and as you can fucking tell, I'm not one for cutting off foreskins."

Cloud immediately regretted this, as Sephiroth's eyes wandered down to his lower regions, his gaze lingering for a moment before he looked back up. Cloud was about to speak again when Sephiroth's hand shot out and took Cloud's flaccid penis in his hands, beginning to stroke it teasingly.

"Stop!" shouted Cloud, trying desperately to wriggle free, but to no avail. Panic and disgust rose within him and he flushed a bright red. Sephiroth completely ignored his request, his stare unmoving from Cloud's outraged face.

"Please," begged Cloud, "Please stop it, I'll tell you properly I promise, please."

Sephiroth began to chuckle. "Come on, you don't really want me to stop..."

Cloud's eyes begged for relief as he implored Sephiroth to have mercy. Cloud knew his captor could see that, it was impossible to miss. He almost passed out in relief as Sephiroth turned and walked away, leaving his regrettably aroused dick alone, only for the man to return a minute later, an object in his hand, the end of it glowing bright orange.

"I had this made for the stomach of my dogs in case they got lost," mused Sephiroth casually, "You're not a dog, you're a trapped little bird, but I suppose it will have to do. Can't risk you running away again, now can we?"

"Wha-"

A scream so loud pierced the air and every muscle in Cloud's body tightened as the glowing iron was pressed against his pelvis. The smell of burned flesh filled the air and if Cloud hadn't been so busy screaming, he'd have thrown up.

"I told you I'd make you scream," reminded Sephiroth, raising his voice so that he could be heard, "I must say, I am reliable."

He pulled the iron from his skin, leaving Cloud gasping and sobbing all at once.

"What did you do?" cried Cloud.

"Marked my property," said Sephiroth with a smile, he made short work of the straps around Cloud's ankles and wrists and just when he believed he was free from his restraints, he had his hands tied behind his back, and was pushed to his knees. The commander followed down behind him, holding him around the waist for a moment.

"You made me very angry today," said Sephiroth, "After all I do for you, you disrespect me. You do not work, you get to sit all day in your lovely cage and then repay me with your sharp, sharp tongue. Perhaps I should cut it out."

"Please don't," wept Cloud.

"Tell me you're sorry," he ordered, a slight growl in his voice.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, silently praying that Sephiroth would take him back to the cage now. His brand was still searing on his skin. All was silent, and Cloud was waiting in quiet agony, his ragged breath being the only sound besides the soft breathing of Sephiroth. Until-

He heard the latter's trousers unzip. He froze in terror. Not again.

"I'm sorry," he said in a panic, "I'm sorry, I'll be good I swear, please don't do this."

Apparently Sephiroth was deaf because a moment, Cloud was lifted into the air and when he came back down he screamed, barely getting the chance to adjust to Sephiroth's dick inside him before he was roughly lifted up and slammed back down again. With his hands behind his back he couldn't move, and his legs were no match for the strength of Sephiroth's arms alone. Tears streamed down his face as the pain turned to numbness, a stream of pleas tumbling from his lips as he panted between each thrust. It was horrendous, almost as frightening as the first time, like a judge bringing down a hammer over and over again. It went on for a while before Cloud was thrown forward onto the floor, his hands unable to stop his face hitting it, which he dealt with by landing on his cheek, and Sephiroth began pummelling into him. Cloud had never been hit by a train, but he guessed it felt like this, and he cried out over and over until-

"Well well well," laughed Sephiroth, disturbingly composed, if not a little dazed from the arousal, "What do we have here?"

Cloud froze in disbelief as Sephiroth ran his hand over Cloud's dick, before running his fingers across Cloud's lips. Tentatively, he licked them.

Salty.

\--

"I come all this way to visit you and you leave me to go and fuck a prisoner."

When Sephiroth re-entered his office, Zack was lounged on a seat in the corner, tossing a tennis ball between his hands. He said nothing, going to his desk and sitting behind it, a satisfied smirk plastered on his face.

"He's a screamer by the way," joked Zack.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" remarked Sephiroth, beginning to write across documents at a fast pace.

"Very pretty," agreed Zack, "You should take him to the meeting next week and show him off."

"Take a Jew to a meeting?"

"You and I both know he's no Jew," laughed Zack.

"So it would seem," said Sephiroth, before halting, "But how did you know that? You weren't looking at my pet's crotch were you?"

"His crotch?" asked Zack, "No, I was looking at his eyes, Sephiroth. Your 'pet' thinks I'm hot."

"Excuse me?"

Zack arched a dark eyebrow as Sephiroth turned to glare at him. "Oh come on, think about it logically. You're a clever man. He's got blonde hair, is absolutely beautiful, not circumcised in the slightest, I presume, and looked at me just like those girls do every time we go back home. He's gay Sephiroth, that's why he's here."

Sephiroth turned back to his work, not letting his sheer amusement show on the surface as he pondered the reality of it. He had suspected it himself, especially after his last encounter with the blonde boy, but he needed confirmation.

God that was going to be fun.

\--

Cloud lay on his stomach, the cold floor of his cell soothing the burning scar Sephiroth had left on him. The cut on his arm was not deep enough to be dangerous, and had stopped bleeding at this point. He was quivering, his lower regions aching all around as he silent cursed himself. As he lay there in a pool of his own misery, he thought back to the time he'd been caught.

_"Cloud," said Dante firmly, "You don't have to be frightened; no one is going to find out. As far as they're concerned, you're besotted with Tifa."_

_Cloud turned away. "Just forget it; it doesn't matter Dante. Let it go – it's not like we were ever in love anyway, what would be the point in that?"_

_His lover spun him around, staring at him imploringly. Dante was not particularly beautiful, but he had been there, had been sweet, and Cloud had flocked to that. He was not in love with the boy, they hadn't even gone past kissing, but he had taken comfort in his embraces, the soft kisses that they'd shared._

_"You don't mean that," said Dante softly._

_"I do," said Cloud honestly, "You know as well as I do, we need to stop being like this with each other."_

_Dante sighed deeply, before touching his lips to Cloud's, the sweet, amorous kiss being the last he'd get from Cloud, perhaps even a man full stop. Little had the boys known then, that Dante's brother had been watching in the shadows._

If Cloud had been blessed with energy he would have cried once more, but he hadn't. He lay there in silence. How could he have orgasmed from Sephiroth's ruthless assaults? Gay or not, no one in there right mind would find that at all pleasurable.

But was he even in his right mind anymore?

He shook his head violently. The next time Sephiroth attempted to touch him, Cloud would stop him. He would die before letting that bastard molest him again.

Never again.

Never.

Never...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, please feel free to leave a review, or not, it's a weird story and if you don't like it, that is absolutely fine. Also, if you have any questions let me know, I can answer them all. An egotistical claim of me but whatever. 
> 
> Thank you~


	3. Matter over Mind

When Cloud awoke the first thing he noticed was that his wounds were throbbing. The brand on his hip hurt almost as much as it had when Sephiroth had done it, only now the searing pain had ceased to an unbearable ache. He rolled onto his back and groaned lightly, careful not to make too much noise. Who knew where the commander was.

So lost in his own pain, Cloud failed to realise, the door to his cage was wide open, someone crouching in the doorway.

“Morning, princess.”

Cloud furrowed his brow. Reno, again. Somehow, the red haired Nazi always seemed to turn up when Cloud really didn’t need it. He was a Bane in his own right.

“What?” demanded Cloud.

“Not a morning person, eh?” said Reno, unaffected by Cloud’s antagonism, “Come on, Commander Sephiroth is out in Birkenau today, but he informed me your wounds would need tending to.”

Cloud hesitated.

“You’d rather go to Hojo?” inquired Reno.

Unable to think of a viable response to that, Cloud reluctantly crawled to the edge of the cage. When Reno reached down he flinched instinctively, but it did not still the man’s hands as he grabbed his upper arms and pulled him to his feet. The red head led him out of the room and directly into Sephiroth’s office. Cloud shuddered at the memory, but said nothing as Reno pushed him gently to sit on the desk, making him wince at the pain on his hip.

“Honestly,” sighed Reno airily, “That man never fails to surprise me. He branded you?”

“Yes,” said Cloud dryly, “It was quite the surprise to me as well.”

“Eh,” observed Reno, “He hasn’t even broken you yet has he?”

“Who could break a pretty face like that?”

Cloud blinked and looked up as he saw the man from the previous day enter the room. Part of him had hoped he wouldn’t have to see the man again. As things stood, the man had not been cruel and was nothing more than beauty to Cloud. In the hell he was in, he had hoped he could keep that. It was diabolical how half the Nazis Cloud had come across were good looking, but that’s the way things were. Not that it meant much – he still despised them all. And this Zack was about to join the ranks.

He averted his eyes and winced as Reno began to clean his wounds with alcohol. He had to open them a little again so that they were easier for him to clean but Cloud gritted through it. It was hardly the worst of it, and preferable to infection, which in itself was preferable to letting Sephiroth heal him. Not that he would.

“Need any help?” asked Zack as he sauntered into the room, nonchalantly rifling through all of Sephiroth’s things. The familiarity of this planted a seed of hate in Cloud already.

“Nah,” dismissed Reno, “Besides, if I let anyone touch him without the general’s permission he’ll throw me in the showers with the rest of the parasites.”

“They’re people too, Reno,” countered Zack, though his tone of voice suggested otherwise.

“Whatever you say, soldier,” muttered Reno, smirking.

He continued for a moment, applying ointment to the wounds before grabbing his hip securely. Cloud cried out as he poured the alcohol over the burned flesh and threw a dressing over it.

“Almost done, princess,” allowed Reno, “Now bend over.”

“What?” squeaked Cloud.

“I’m not going to fuck you,” reassured Reno, “I’ll hazard a guess he’s fucked you up down there too.”

Cloud wriggled, but Reno’s grip tightened painfully on him.

“Come on kid,” he warned, “In this entire place, I’m practically your best friend.”

“Aeris,” growled Cloud.

“Still alive,” murmured Reno, “And if you want to keep things that way, cooperate, eh?”

“Let go!” shouted Cloud.

“Zack I’ll hold him,” sighed Reno, “You know how to treat anal tearing, right?”

“Why would you assume I knew how to do that?” asked Zack, “... Go on then.”

Reno pinned him face down to the desk and held him there. Cloud tried to kick his legs out, clench his buttocks together, but Zack just rested one hand on the small of his back.

“It’s Cloud, right?”

Zack’s voice was gentle, coaxing. Cloud knew straight away he was trying to manipulate him, but it was, nevertheless, a blessing on his ears.

“How do you know my name?” growled Cloud.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised, “If I don’t clean you now, it will only get infected. Or it won’t heal at all. You think Seph will give two fucks whether you’re in pain or not? Work with me here.”

Cloud thought about it for a moment, before sighing and letting his legs fall still. He closed his eyes tightly shut as Zack checked him over with feather-light fingers. He winced a bit as he was cleaned but the moment he was done the two Nazis lightened their grip on Cloud and stepped back, chatting to each other casually.

“Fuck. Shower, princess,” remembered Reno, “I have to stay with you this time. Can’t have a repeat of last time, can we?”

“Last time?” inquired Zack.

“He jumped soaking wet and naked out the window into the snow,” laughed Reno, “I caught him 30 seconds later.”

“That’s ballsy of you,” noted Zack.

“I’m surprised to see him standing myself,” agreed Reno, “Sephiroth is a fucking psychopath, even I don’t like being near him. Don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you Zack.”

“Ay ay,” complained Zack.

“ _Cloud_ agrees with me, don’t you?” laughed Reno.

Reno dragged him from the room and shoved him into the shower again. As Cloud turned on the water and dried himself fast and quick, the two men stood with the door wide open, leaning against the door frame. Talking about Reno’s conquests and Zack’s tendency to have only one woman at a time. Cloud listened to them, getting lost in their lives for a moment before they realised he was spotless and was just stood under the water aimlessly. He was given a towel to dry himself with and shoved straight back in his cage after a reapplying of ointment, something that should have been saved till last in the first place.

“I gotta run,” announced Reno, “You can leave him here, Zack, bitch can’t go anywhere.”

“I’m going to head over and see Seph then,” he replied.

“Pester him more like...”

Their voices faded out at the door was closed and Cloud was once again left alone in the darkness. He was still fairly damp, and it was cold, even inside the block. He was freezing, and so curled up on himself. He felt better, less sore, less filthy, less miserable. In fact, that morning was the least miserable thing to happen to him so far, and given what it actually was, Cloud couldn’t help but feel a bit pathetic.

~

Aeris flinched at the sound of the door unlocking, glaring hatefully as it revealed itself to be Hojo, followed by a few others adorning lab coats.

“This one has a very pretty face,” announced Hojo, “I’d like to keep it that way as long as possible, so work accordingly.”

She scuttled back as a pair of guards entered, reaching for her. Shooting her foot out, she hit one of them square in the face, immediately regretting the action as he brought down a fist on her in return.

“Not her face,” complained Hojo, “We’re supposed to be productive today, boys.”

She was beginning to lose it, the experiments, the screams, the hunger. She wondered how Cloud was doing, her mind flittering to him even in the situation they were in.

“Yo, Hojo.”

Professor Hojo leaned back out the doorway and frowned in distaste at whoever was making an appearance. The guards kept their grip on her, but awaited their direct orders from Hojo, who was currently scowling.

“Fair,” greeted Hojo dryly, “I see you’re here to visit my son.”

_Son?_ Aeris had never considered anyone as vile and malevolent as Hojo could have any sort of family, but she didn’t care for it at that moment. She just wanted them to leave and close the door. She was about to start writhing again when she saw ‘Fair’ appear in the doorway. She was surprised to see it was a young soldier, of a seemingly high ranking, and though he seemed so relaxed in the horrific environment, when his eyes fell on her they softened slightly.

“Come on,” complained Zack, “Can we hold the mutilation until after I’ve left?”

“I’m afraid-“

“Hojo,” insisted Zack, “I need to speak to you. I bring you news from _her._ ”

Hojo’s entire demeanour changed and he clicked his fingers, causing the men to drop Aeris to the floor, where she scrambled back into the corner, glaring at them hatefully.

“Don’t get too comfortable, my pretty,” called Hojo, “I’ll be back for you before you know it.”

The soldier Fair nodded politely to her and she wanted to throw something at his face. Was he mocking her with his show of kindness? She may have had soft eyes and a silky voice, a gentle touch and a pretty face, but she was not a useless girl. She was a woman who had been rendered useless. She thought of Yuffie, and what they had done to her, and of Cloud, who was probably still suffering on account of her. She had not given up, not yet at any rate. Trying was no longer good enough, she saw that now. She saw that she could no longer hide behind her motivation, and words of encouragement – now she had to act. But how?

She hoped she’d have time enough to figure it out.

~

When Cloud awoke again it was evening, after dark, and he silently cursed. If Sephiroth was not already back, he would be soon. Almost as though taunting him with a nightmare, his door swung open and the silver-haired demon entered, seemingly put out by something, which of course would not work in Cloud’s favour. The cage was opened roughly and he held out his hand.

“Come here,” he said, “I’m in no mood for your antics today, little Jew.”

For reasons unknown, Cloud found himself edging to the doorway, where the man grabbed his shoulders and pulled him roughly from the metal cage and into the hallway, leading him towards the study.

“Reno treated you it would seem,” noted Sephiroth, “But you shall have to clean your private areas in the shower-“

“They took care of it,” said Cloud coolly.

“Excuse me?” inquired Sephiroth, “ _They_?”

“Yeah. Reno pinned me down, Zack treated me.”

“ _Zack_?”

Cloud sensed he’d done something wrong, but he didn’t care enough to confront the man about it. If Sephiroth was pissed off about something, it was none of Cloud’s concern. After all, this man was his fiend, not his friend. As bad as a mood the man seemed to be in, their interaction felt different from usual, which begged the question. Why was Cloud just stood there, exchanging pleasantries with him?

He pulled his wrist from the man’s grip and immediately caused his green eyes to spark. The man grabbed him by his arm and with one swift pull sent Cloud crashing onto the top of his desk, papers scattering everywhere. Cloud let out a cry of protest, but before he could even move Sephiroth was upon him, lifting the dressing on his hip to inspect the brand there.

“Do you want to know what is says,” taunted Sephiroth.

“Not especially,” spat Cloud.

Sephiroth leaned forward so that his face was directly in front of Cloud’s furious one. Leaning down, he let his lips grace Cloud’s ear lightly.

“ _Mein Jude,_ ” he whispered. For a moment, a shiver ran down Cloud’s spine before the man latched on painfully to his ear lobe as he manoeuvred himself between Cloud’s legs without much trouble from the rapidly yet haphazardly kicking legs that he was sending in his direction. Cloud struck out with every ounce of strength in his body.

Eventually, the man seemed to tire of Cloud’s behaviour, and slapped him across the face hard. The act caused Cloud to freeze for a moment – the humiliation was as raw as ever. Cloud slowly turned his head to Sephiroth and looked him dead in the eyes.

“I’m not your fucking Jew.”

Sephiroth’s hands shot out and he pinned Cloud in such a way that there was no escape. As Sephiroth thrust into him he sent a silent prayer to a god he didn’t believe in, thanking whatever greater force that Reno and Zack had been able to subdue him earlier – the ointment was now serving as a lubricant for Cloud’s already thoroughly abused posterior.

Cloud tried everything in his power to get free of the man, the man who had mutilated him so disgustingly he wanted to throw up. Miraculously, Cloud was able to latch onto Sephiroth’s forearm, which he clamped down on with no hesitation, hot blood seeping into his mouth nauseatingly. He didn’t know why he even bothered gaping at how Sephiroth laughed in amusement at the attack, not faltering his ruthless rhythm as he did. He leaned down and licked up the trail of blood that had begun to run from Cloud’s mouth, causing Cloud to squirm and whine once more. It was unbearable – the room was too hot, too sweaty, his head was spinning with pain and exhaustion.

“You protest so valiantly,” said Sephiroth, completely composed, “And yet you lay beneath me, a panting mess. Why, I do believe you _want_ me to fuck you.”

Ignoring the blatantly obvious erection he had, and the fact that he was practically biting his lip to control his cries, Cloud shook his head violently. “Never.”

Cloud came at least a minute before Sephiroth did, and he winced as Sephiroth pulled out, stepping away for a moment and leaving Cloud sprawled out across his desk. How could everything change so rapidly in such a short space of time? He felt so small at that moment – a vow never to let him touch him again was one thing, but it was useless unless Cloud had the strength to stop him. He’d rather die? Perhaps, but even that was in the hands of Sephiroth, and Cloud was slowly beginning to realise that if he had any chance of escape, he would have to stop using his fists and start using his head.

“I beg to differ,” mused Sephiroth casually, “You always look so _relieved_ whenever you see me.”

“Your pleasure is forced,” panted Cloud, “Don’t be so delusional.”

Sephiroth appeared rather suddenly and grabbed him by his hair, dragging him back to the cage and throwing him inside. Cloud glared at him from within the darkness, and immediately edged back into the corner.

“Little Jew,” said Sephiroth with a smirk, “You worship me... Even you know that.”

The door slammed closed and Cloud was plunged into darkness once more, feeling utterly abandoned for reasons he wasn’t too sure of. He stretched his legs out, relishing the feeling of his knees clicking, when he felt something warm touch his foot. Reaching out, he pulled it towards him. It was a blanket. The warm, woollen kind. Had Sephiroth given this to him?

Pushing the possibilities from his mind, he wrapped his small frame within the blanket, and curled up, figuring he could begin scheming in the morning. Burying his face into the wool, he relished the warmth of it. He had lost his name, dignity, friends and family. This blanket was the only thing that was his.

_Pathetic_ , he thought, as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

~

Zack Fair pursed his lips slightly as he held the note within his hands. The words bothered him, and he honestly couldn’t see the point in the order. Business overrode pleasure in this situation, he knew that, but it didn’t make him any less happy about it. Had Hojo approached him with this topic personally, he would have brushed it off as a trivial nuisance, but the note finalised it. This was a certified mission.

“News travels fast then,” said Zack bitterly, as he perched on Hojo’s desk which, for some reason, was splattered with dried blood.

“Well even you have to admit it’s ridiculous,” complained Hojo, his demeanour uncharacteristically serious, “Besides, that boy doesn’t belong here anyway – his hair qualifies his release alone. Jews are not blonde.”

“You say the stupidest things sometimes,” muttered Zack.

“You might not like it,” said Hojo, “But these are the rules. Face it – you gunmen aren’t the ones with real say in this institution.”

“But what does _she_ want him for?” asked Zack darkly.

Hojo threw his hands up dramatically. “Who are we to question it? She does as she pleases.”

Zack crumpled the sheet of paper in his hands and shoved it into his pocket. He wasn’t worried about the outcome, if she wanted to take Sephiroth’s toy, it wouldn’t be long before he took it back. Nevertheless, stick her next to Hojo, and he was Saint Nicholas in comparison. He shot Hojo a fierce glare.

“I’m going to need more specific instructions than this,” he said bluntly, “You’re asking me to betray my friend here.”

“Of course,” said Hojo jovially, “I planned ahead of time.”

Zack hopped up from the desk and moved to leave the man’s office. He was tired of the affair for one day. He knew but one thing...

Cloud would be begging to come back here soon enough. That woman was a _calamity_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who were wondering, 'Mein Jude' is German for 'my Jew' - but if this is wrong I do apologize. This chapter is shorter than my previous ones, but although it is what I consider to be a semi-filler, I tried my best to make it good. Even fillers should be good, people.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and as usual, if you clicked on this accidentally - I am truly sorry.


	4. Hurt Me Softly

Chapter 4

Cloud played absently with the hem of his blanket, marvelling in its green itchiness and not being able to recall anything so uncomfortably comfortable in his life.

“ _Rose, Rose, Rose, Red, will I ever see thee wed..._ ” he sang under his breath. He assumed he looked thoroughly inoffensive at that moment, and so continuing his quiet song, he plotted.

His strength was not enough to best Sephiroth, and it was waning with every day that he lay immobile in the cage, his only exercise being when Sephiroth slammed him into a wall and fucked him senseless. Literally. He was fast, he knew that at least, but he was still far from his best. Would his weak body prevent him from outrunning the man? Was he prepared to risk it?

He needed something more substantial than blindly making a run for it. He tried to think of cunning ways to get out. Could he trick Reno? Bat his eyelashes and flirt his way out? He considered Sephiroth’s beautiful friend Zack, but from what he’d already seen, the two were pretty close. Cloud had always considered himself vaguely good-looking, but he doubted it was enough to warrant Zack’s help. Reno was less inclined to favour the demonic Sephiroth, but he did have a fear of the man, and it would be an obstacle for Cloud. He was trying to desperately to think of a plan, but every time he came close to an answer, Sephiroth would drag him from the cage to abuse him again, and he would lose his trail of thought entirely.

“ _...I'm here alone, if in my darkest hour—”_

Before Cloud could continue his light singing, the door to his room crashed open again, revealing his terrifying captor. He raised the blanket uselessly over his mouth, hoping the man wouldn’t see his lips trembling. He had not broken yet. The door opened.

“Come, little Jew.”

Cloud wondered if, when and if he truly did break, Sephiroth would tire of him and simply kill him. As he took the commander’s gloved hand he vowed never to let that happen.

Sephiroth smirked.

\--

“They sent for me?” asked Sephiroth, clearly pissed off. “Why?”

“Like they’d tell me,” said Zack casually, tossing a glass paperweight around, “But they want you to leave the day after tomorrow.”

Sephiroth took a swig of the amber liquor in his glass and pursed his lips. Zack regarded him warily whilst he wasn’t looking. The man would have no cause to suspect Zack was tricking him, because why would he? Zack was Sephiroth’s most trusted. He felt almost nauseous just stood there, lying through his teeth.

Finally, the silver-haired man sighed, and Zack’s shoulders relaxed.

“I can’t just leave 414770 alone,” mused Sephiroth. “He’ll die if he is not fed and watered. This doesn’t say how long I’ll be gone for, but the journey there and back is a few days alone.”

Zack was aware that Sephiroth fed the boy simple food, yet at a much steadier rate than that of the ordinary prisoners. He would give him a metal bowl of water a day, not pottery in case he smashed it, and it was supposed to last him.

“I don’t have to leave for another two weeks,” said Zack. “I could watch him for you.” Green eyes flashed. “He may miss you in your absence.”

At this, the anger left the man and a familiar smirk settled on the commander’s face. Zack felt awful. Many called Sephiroth a monster, but he and Zack had always been the closest of friends because Zack saw the best in everyone. Zack was many things, but he was never a bad friend until that moment.

“Very well,” said Sephiroth. “You may remain here and care for my pet. Don’t over-feed him. I know you have a soft heart, but he’s not your toy to spoil. Don’t speak to him either; I want him to wish for my return. He surely will.”

“Did anyone ever tell you how horrifically dramatic you are?” asked Zack in amusement.

“Hojo, on several occasions,” replied Sephiroth nonchalantly.

“When will you leave?” asked Zack.

“Immediately,” he said. “The boy can wait until I return before seeing me again. That way he’ll miss me all the more.”

“One would think _you’re_ going to miss _him_ the way you’re going on like that,” laughed Zack.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” snapped Sephiroth. “He’s nowhere near good enough to warrant my longing for him yet. Until I see the adoration in his eyes, he’ll be nothing but a nuisance to me.”

“Whatever,” said Zack lightly. “Have a safe journey.”

“How boring,” mused Sephiroth. “I didn’t know you favoured safe journeys.”

“You’re right,” agreed Zack. “I hope you get attacked by a band of diseased pirates.”

“As do I, Fair, as do I.”

\--

Cloud rolled over in his blanket and stretched out, all of his joints clicking. He sighed in satisfaction. He was daydreaming about a summer a few years earlier, when his family had gone to the seaside. He’d never seen the sea until then. He tried to remember the smell, and the feel of the sand on his bare feet.

Sephiroth hadn’t come to him for a considerable amount of time. Not that the blond was complaining; he was enjoying the break. He felt like he could rest, given Sephiroth was seemingly caught up in some sort of serious business. He did wonder, though, whether he would be even more hellish than usual when he finally did turn up. Cloud didn’t care – he lived for the tiny luxuries.

It was not until the sun went down that the door opened once more.

“414770, let’s get you out of there.”

He recognised the voice. It was Hojo. He scrambled backwards in a panic; was this it, then? The end? Had Sephiroth finally decided to hand him over to the scientist?

“Don’t scare him,” complained Zack. “It’s okay, kid, come here.”

Cloud blinked in surprise. What the hell was going on? Distrust spread through him like wildfire.

“What are you doing?” demanded Cloud. “Where is Sephiroth?”

“Cute,” remarked Hojo.

“We’re sending you some place else,” said Zack. “This isn’t actually legal, so... we’re taking you somewhere else. To a better camp, one more suited to you.”

Cloud scoffed.

“Okay, so it’s still a camp,” allowed Zack. “Point is, you’ll have more freedom than you do here. You’ll be way out of his reach – he can’t touch you there. Will you come willingly?”

Cloud considered his options. As much as he didn’t understand what was going on, or whether he could really trust what Zack was saying, this was a chance to escape. To have his one last chance at freedom. They knew, now that he technically had no need to be there, he was nothing but a toy Sephiroth had been playing with.

Hardening his resolve, he clutched his blanket tightly and crawled out the cell, wrapping it round him. Immediately, Hojo produced a pair of striped pyjamas and Cloud put them on quickly, not releasing his hold on the blanket.

Hojo nodded. “Well then,” he said. “I’ve got things to chop up back in ol’ 11, so I’ll be going—”

“Aeris!” exclaimed Cloud. “I can’t leave her here!”

“You don’t get to take prisoners with you,” laughed Hojo. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“Then I’m not going,” he said firmly, sitting down on his behind and glaring at them defiantly. He didn’t care how ridiculous he looked.

Zack sighed. “Aeris is the pretty one, right?” he asked. “The one with the brown hair and green eyes? Maybe a little bit older than you?”

Cloud nodded hopefully.

“Then don’t worry,” said Zack with an easy smile. “If you do as we tell you and go quietly, I’ll promise to make sure she comes to no harm. I can’t let her go or allow her to move with you. She belongs here, Cloud.”

Cloud’s hope was deflated with the abstract concept of belonging. People like Sephiroth were simple. Beliefs aside, they were evil, and they could easily be hated for that. This was a man who was clearly warm-hearted and kind, but who truly believed that the people here were supposed to be here. Like animals kept in a pen. It didn’t just ruin his hope in the situation, but in life altogether.

Though there was little else to do but to go with him. There were two options: stay and live out his days uselessly until Sephiroth grew tired of him, or leave and ensure Aeris’s possible safety. He didn’t know where they would take him, but it couldn’t be any worse than where he already was.

He nodded slowly, got to his feet again, and, before he knew, it they were leading him into a van. At least it wasn’t a cramped train carriage this time. He was in complete darkness, but it was better than nothing. He allowed them to put him in chains, and, as Zack hopped off the back, Hojo began to laugh as he walked away.

Zack’s expression turned grim at that point. “I’m sorry, Cloud.”

“What?” demanded Cloud. Zack didn’t answer but turned and walked away. There was little sincerity in his voice, as though he would rather have killed Cloud than personally facing whatever the alternative was. So they were sending him to his death then... Off site?

Maybe they’d take him straight to Sephiroth to be publicly humiliated and disposed of. No... Whatever they were doing with him, Sephiroth was clearly being left out of the loop. For some reason, that both pleased and frightened Cloud.

He held onto his blanket and sat down in the darkness as the vehicle began to move. Perhaps he’d have a chance to escape en route, but he doubted those who were taking him unarmed. As he pulled out the gates of Auschwitz, tears began to stream down Cloud’s face. It was all too much for him. He curled up and went to sleep.

\--

“Get up.”

Cloud’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up to see a soldier he didn’t recognize standing over him. He clambered to his feet and hopped out of the van. He was somewhere else, that was true, but the striped pyjamas were the same as he looked around him. These prisoners were staring, looking just as run down as the ones back in Auschwitz. That was okay though, because he was now just like the others. He was no longer a captured whore.

The soldiers said nothing, but they took him by the arm and let him into a building, up flights of stairs. This camp was not as big as Auschwitz, but this building was far nicer and prettier than Sephiroth’s. They reached a door and knocked on it.

“Come in.”

The door was swung open, and Cloud was dragged before a man behind a desk. His hair, too, was blond, and he looked quite young. He was not wearing a Nazi uniform as the others were, but a finely tailored suit of jet black. He fixed his gaze on Cloud and gave him a smile that never reached his eyes.

“414770?” he asked.

“Cloud Strife,” he corrected, before mentally cursing his audacity. 

The smile etched a little higher before he stood up. “We have brought you here because of the unprofessional manner in which you were kept at Auschwitz Birkenau. Until such a time when we believe you won’t cause trouble, you will be working in the medical unit. I don’t know how pampered you were over in Auschwitz, but here, you’re just another prisoner, do you understand?”

Cloud pursed his lips. “I understand. And you are?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Rufus Shinra.”

Cloud suppressed a gasp. This was Shinra’s son. His _son._ What had they brought him to?

“Where are we taking him, sir?” asked one of the soldiers.

“Take him to Jenova.”

Rufus Shinra gave them a wave of dismissal, and Cloud was pulled from the room with great force. Who the hell was Jenova? His inner question was answered when the two soldiers began to bicker.

“You don’t need me to go with you; you’re only dropping him off.”

“What if he tries to get away? You’re not getting out of this. We both go.”

“Can’t we just give him the directions?”

“Are you fucking serious?”

Cloud said nothing, and an ominous feeling began to grow as they took him to another building. They were barely through the door when a scream so horrific pierced the air that the men paled before his eyes. They slowed down before reaching a door. They hesitated before knocking on it. Cloud waited in agonizing anxiety before, after what seemed like hours, the door swung open.

Stood before him was a woman of extraordinary beauty. She couldn’t have been more than 30, but he had an inkling that she was perhaps a little older. Her hair was a pale and silvery platinum pulled back off her face, which in itself looked like something etched by Polykleitos himself. High cheekbones, pale skin, and eyes greener even than Sephiroth’s. She was wearing a uniform that consisted of a pale blue dress with a white collar and a white apron over the top. A white apron splattered with fresh, red blood.

“Yes?”

“414770,” introduced one of the soldiers formally. “He was instructed to come to you.”

Her gaze landed on him and for a split second he thought she wanted to eat him or something, but all in a moment the feeling was gone and she smiled.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” she said lightly, her voice smoother than anything he’d heard before. “I’ll take him from here.”

Cloud had never seen two men scamper as fast as they did, and he looked at the woman with uncertainty.

“Sorry about all the noise,” she said. “And the blood. The poor darling is having a hard time.”

“... Okay.”

She smiled again and he found himself smiling back. He would be working with a nurse? That wasn’t so bad.

“My name is Nurse Jenova,” she told him. “But I think we’re going to be _great_ friends, so you can just call me Jen.”

Friends...

“I’m told you had a hard time at Auschwitz,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading him away from the room she’d come from. “If you ever wish to talk about it, I’m here.”

He’d only met her about 30 seconds ago, what was she even talking about? She seemed to know a lot about him.

“It was nothing,” he said quietly.

She turned around then, and her intense gaze bored into him. “Don’t worry,” she said softly, her eyes wandering over every inch of his face.

“He’ll never touch you again.” Her entire demeanour changed for a moment, and Cloud was terrified. Surely this apparent fury wasn’t directed at him though; that wouldn’t make sense, right? 

Was this woman acquainted with Sephiroth?

His attention was drawn back out of his thoughts as she led him into a room. It was a bedroom, a simple one, granted, with a thin mattress on the floor, and a toilet in the corner.

“This is your room,” she said lightly. “When you’re not working, you’re not to leave it. At night, I will lock it. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” he confirmed, in awe of the luxury he’d been given. And there he was with his blanket thinking it his most prized possession. He drew it closer to himself absent-mindedly.

“Did your mother give you that blanket?” 

He turned to her and blinked, though she was not looking at him, but at the itchy blanket in his arms.

“No,” said Cloud. “It was someone else...”

Her eyes flashed again with that earlier discontent and he clutched it tighter. His prayers were not answered though, as she held out her hand for it.

“I can’t let you have it,” she said. “It’s not fair on everyone else. We must be fair now, mustn’t we? It’s a bad blanket anyway. Give it to me.”

Cloud gaped at her for a moment as he realised with perfect clarity that he had no intention of letting her have it. For reasons he wasn’t sure of, he felt the blanket was of incredible importance to him.

“Please...” he said softly. “Let me keep it.”

Her expression turned gentle for a moment, and she smiled at him. Reaching out, she tugged lightly on a piece of his wild blond hair.

“No,” she said. She grabbed the blanket, and pulled it from him. He almost reached out for it, but thought better of it. She left the room, her long silvery hair trailing behind her, and locked the door.

 _It was just a stupid blanket,_ he thought to himself. _There’s no need for you to get so worked up over it._

But it wasn’t just a blanket. It was a possession, a symbol of freedom and ownership. He decided not to hold it against the nice, strange nurse though. She was only doing her job. This was good. Here, with this woman, he had a chance at escaping. Nurses and doctors were not soldiers. He smiled – he could taste the freedom already.

\--

Jenova held the piece of shit in her hands, and a scowl marred her exquisite features. She looked up, noticing how prisoners and soldiers alike were edging further and further away from the piles of burning bodies as she drew nearer.

When she reached the fires, she threw the blanket atop them and watched in satisfaction as it lit up, cheaply made as it was. She thought of the blond boy locked away in her building, how his eyes and ears had greedily lapped up all her kind words and gentle smiles. The world was full of warm bodies just waiting to be graced with the _snip snip_ of her scissors, and yet every now and then there was someone who went against the grain.

Like Hojo, a crazed man, braver than most to bother interacting with her. Or Rufus Shinra, who was incredibly weary of her, but who didn’t shake in his boots when she was there. Or Sephiroth, her beautiful son and the only one completely unafraid of standing against her.

Now there was this boy. The boy, pretty as he was, had caught Sephiroth’s attention. Whether he was to hold her son’s attention was another matter completely, but then no one would ever find out. She debated mutilating the boy and sending him back, but there was always the chance that, like herself, Sephiroth wouldn’t care. No... She did not yet know the extent of Sephiroth’s obsession, but she was sure she would soon find out. Would he come for his toy? Would he merely express his annoyance?

The blanket was gone now, burned into non-existence, like the relationship between Sephiroth and 414770. That intrigued her most of all. Sephiroth had kept the boy for almost a month now. He had given him a blanket. Why? She wasn’t too concerned over her son’s intentions, but as his mother, it was her duty to find out. Rare it was, that she got to have this much fun. There was a woman in the distance, looking vacantly into the burning fire as the smell of cooking flesh filled the air. Jenova thought it smelled delicious, the smell of roasted vermin, but she doubted anyone else shared the sentiment.

She crossed over to her, gripping the woman’s upper arm tightly. The woman turned, her brown eyes widening in terror as she realised who it was.

“Come,” said Jenova, “It’s time for your check up.”

The woman screamed.


End file.
